AI Actress Tilly Norwood Faces Hollywood Backlash
Los Angeles, CA – The debut of Tilly Norwood, the first actress created entirely by artificial intelligence, is drawing sharp criticism from within the entertainment industry. Norwood, developed by AI talent studio xicoia – a spin-off from Eline Van der Velden’s Particle6 - has ignited a debate about the future of acting and the potential displacement of human performers.
Van der Velden announced at the Zurich Summit that a talent agency representing Norwood would be revealed in the coming months.Though, the announcement was met wiht immediate and vocal opposition from established actors and screenwriters who voiced concerns over the implications of AI-generated talent.
“Hope all actors repped by the agent that does this, drop their a$$. How gross, read the room,” scream actress Melissa Barrera posted on Instagram. Actor Nicholas Alexander Chavez, known for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, dismissed Norwood as “Not an actress actually.Nice try.”
the criticism extended to satirical commentary. Shang-Chi actor Simu Liu ironically stated on Instagram, ”Movies are great but you no what would be better is if the characters in them weren’t played by actual humans but by AI replicas approximating human emotion.” Screenwriter brian Duffield took to X (formerly Twitter),noting,”Pretty telling that the industries first venture into this was to create a teenage girl they could control.”
Concerns also centered on the ethical implications of norwood’s creation. Matilda actress Mara Wilson questioned the process, asking on Instagram, “What about the hundreds of living young women whose faces were composited together to make her? You couldn’t hire any of them?” Actor Lukas Gage jokingly commented, ”She was a nightmare to work with.”
Despite the controversy, Norwood has already amassed over 21,000 followers on her public Instagram account. The situation highlights a growing tension within Hollywood as advancements in AI technology challenge traditional roles and raise questions about the future of performance.
The data is sourced from public statements made by Eline Van der Velden on Instagram, as well as comments from various actors and screenwriters on their personal social media accounts, and details from a Variety report published in 2025.
